The End
by StephyCoCo89
Summary: Amy was a normal girl before the apocalypse started. However, when the world crumbled around her, she soon realised it's not the dead she should be afraid of. It's the living, and Amy must try to survive the new, harsh world. Will Amy stick with the dysfunctional group, or will she end up dead before she knows it? [OC]
1. When the World Ends

**Author's notes: Hello! Now, I just want to say I might not be the best writer, but I do hope you enjoy this fan fiction. This story will be very dark, but I will add warnings on each chapter if needed. Amy will be introduced to the Walking Dead characters, but not yet. The story will be a bit slow, but if you could spare your time and give your opinion/criticism about my story, it will be very much **_appreciated._

**Warnings:**** N/A**

"A lot of police cars today."

Amy snapped out of her day dream. She didn't hear what her dad said, and had to ask him repeat himself. When he told her again, Amy agreed.

"I was just thinking that, actually." She mused, and just as she said this, another police car whizzed past.

Her father simply grunted in response. Amy and her father were both driving to her university in Atlanta; she had been away on holiday for two weeks. Although she enjoyed the time off, there has been constant fights in the house. Her parents have been arguing over mundane stuff, but it soon escalated into blazing rows, lots of door slamming and crying. Amy was now certain they slept in separate bedrooms. It had been quite awkward, but Amy has managed to keep herself busy with friends, work and as such.

"So, who will be your new American History lecturer then?" Her father spoke again.

"Hmm, well I don't actually know..." She suddenly felt sad. Her old American History lecturer was taken into court, and been accused of murder, shockingly. Amy never wanted to believe it. Lee was just too nice, and he had this gentle nature about him. He was also very knowledgeable on American History. As far as Amy was concerned, everyone liked Lee, and some even liked him a bit too much!

Amy continued to talk, "what I do know is, my old American History lecturer? He's been sent down for life today." From the corner of her eye, she saw her dad shake his head.

"Ah, such a shame. Poor guy." This statement slightly confused Amy.

"What do you mean? He did kill someone, after all..." She trailed off, and then frowned at herself. Although it saddened her, the man still had to pay for his crime, right? _If you can't do the time, don't do the tie._ Still, he was a nice man...

Her father waved a hand at Amy, dismissively. "I know, I know. The thing is, nobody really knows the full story, do they? I know he allegedly murdered his wife's lover, but as far as I'm aware, the story isn't very clear." He glanced at Amy through his glasses and said, "He could be innocent, as far as we know. "

Amy didn't say anything. She looked out of the window, and fidgeted with her hands as she noticed more police cars driving past 'Must be really serious...' Amy thought to herself, but she wasn't worried. She then quickly glanced at her dad, and noticed how tired he looked. He had big circles underneath his eyes, and was completely blood shot. Amy suddenly felt guilty, and realised that perhaps she should have taken the train instead?

"Dad? I'm sorry..."

Her dad quickly looked at her, concentrated on the road again, but looked quite confused "What for, hunny?"

Amy tried to hold bring tears. She felt her throat tightening, and her eyes were already stinging. She felt it would hurt to even speak. Still, she explained herself "I know you and mom have been fighting a lot lately, and you offered me the lift back to Atlanta, but I shouldn't have accepted! You look so tired, and I should have taken the train and-"

"Amy," her dad quickly cut her off. There was despair in his voice. "First of all, I wanted to drive you down. It..." He sighed, as if trying to find the right words, and continued talking to Amy after a few seconds, "I wanted this chance to talk about your mother, Amy."

Amy felt tears rolling down her face, but quickly wiped them away. "I know... You're both divorcing, aren't you?"

"That's correct, Amy."

Amy burst out crying. She knew it was bound to happen, but it was still a shock to the system. She never wanted this, but hell, who did anyway? No children, no matter how old they are, wanted their parents to divorce, but for the past five years, Amy knew her parents haven't been very happy. The constant snipes they had with each other, and Amy knew her mother was having an affair with another man. She one day accidentally logged into her mother's email address, and saw the messages. She cried really hard that day, but never confronted her mother about it.

Amy would never tell her father the affair. Despite the arguments her parents had all the time, her father still loved her mother very much, and it would simply break his heart if he found out, or perhaps he already knew? Amy shook her head, trying to absorb this information her dad has given her. She didn't know why she felt so shocked; God knows he saw this coming too!

For half an hour, Amy's dad was consoling her. Telling her everything was going to be fine, her parents still loved her and finally, it wasn't like it was the end of the world; her parents will always be around for her, no matter what. She took this all in and said nothing.

Finally, they managed to pull into the city. However, the traffic was enormous. This greatly annoyed her father.

"Great, I wonder how long it will take before I can get out of this city." He asked himself, irritated. Amy realised this car might not move for a while in the traffic. There was a lot of beeping and shouting in the street, but at the time, Amy just assumed it was people trying to get back from work.

Amy allowed herself to smile. "Maybe I should have taken the train after all?" She gently teased. He simply chuckled and scuffed her hair. Amy pretended to frown at him as she straightened her hair neatly.

She certainly felt they have become closer after the conversation they had. She just hoped her mother was okay right now; it couldn't have been easy for her either '_Although she has been fucking another man_'. She gasped at her intrusive thoughts, but managed to push them to one side. She then glanced at her father, and smiled weakly at him.

"Dad... Thanks for telling me? I know this must've been difficult for you."

She watched as her dad slowly nodded his head. He then sighed and looked at his daughter. He had tears in his eyes. "You're a big girl now, Amy. We just thought you should know. That's all." Suddenly, he leaned over and hugged his daughter tightly.

Amy hugged back and whispered, "I love you, dad." Although her dad wasn't very good with emotions, she felt him smile. To her, that meant a lot.

A song was playing on the radio, but it was then interrupted.

_Friday night is forever, baby, oh yeah-_

_We are sorry to interrupt. An outbreak has occurred in America and most cities within the country. The government has advised for the citizens to immediately locate to a secure area until further notice. I repeat..._

Amy and her father pulled away from their hug and simply looked at the radio. Amy felt confused. Her father then quickly turned the volume up.

_I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT! THE MAN JUST RAN UP TO MY SON AND __**BIT HIM**__! I MANAGED TO FIGHT THE MAN OFF, BUT MY SON WAS BLEEDING HEAVILY, SO I TOOK HIM TO THE HOSPITAL, AND THEN... THEN..._

Amy felt her blood run cold. She listened as the woman began to cry on the radio, unable to finish her sentence. This was some kind of joke? This wasn't true, surely?!

She felt a nudge at her side which made her jump. Her father quickly soothed her and muttered, "Don't worry, Amy. This is probably just some kind of practical joke..." He didn't appear convinced, however.

"But Dad! The lady sounded hysterical on the radio, and she was talking about her son! If this is a joke, then it's certainly very cruel!" Just as Amy finished ranting, she noticed people were getting out of their cars in the traffic. Most of the people just looked very confused, whilst others looked frightened.

"Come on," her dad said, "let's get out and see what the others have got to say about this." He then looked at Amy and scratched at the back of his neck, grinning. "Who knows? Maybe they have more sense of this than we do."

They both unbuckled their seat belt. Without thinking, Amy grabbed her hand bag. As any normal girl, she just couldn't do without. They both eventually got out of the car, and Amy slamming the door loudly behind her. Despite the situation, it felt good to be able to stretch their legs. She then smiled nervously at her father, but he gave her a reassuring smile as if to say, 'don't worry, it's probably nothing. Just some idiot playing a horrible prank, you'll see.'

Her father looked around the area. There appeared to be a lot of people on the street, but some didn't even know what was happening as they hadn't heard the news yet. He eventually decided to approach a family who was driving behind them. He strolled up to them, and nodded. Amy followed behind her dad.

"Howdy, do you guys have any idea what's going on?" He asked the parents. Both of them shook their heads.

The man spoke first. "Your guess is as good as ours. We just heard it on the radio. Telling us to find a secure area, but surely the police would've told us to do that?"

The lady next to the man quickly cut in. "We just assumed it was some kind of prank joke, but then we noticed people getting out of their cars..." She shook her head and smiled at Amy's Dad "It's probably nothing, right?"

Amy watched as her dad nodded his head in agreement. "Probably it, people just over-reacting, that's all. Anyway, we best get back to the car. It was nice meeting you two."

The man smiled. The lady suddenly became distracted by her two kids, so couldn't talk anymore. "You too" He said.

Amy and her dad continued to stand next to the car. The traffic still wasn't moving at all, but she couldn't see the military anywhere. She heard sirens in the distance, but that was nothing new in Atlanta.

Amy then started to chew at her bottom lip; it was a nervous trait she picked up from her mother. They needed a plan, and sitting here waiting... Waiting for what, exactly? The police or military haven't turn up yet! The broadcaster on the radio wasn't exactly helpful. Find somewhere secure? What, in Amy's shithole of a flat? No way would anyone be safe in that! The only reason Amy lived there in the first place was because rent was so cheap.

Amy looked at her dad. He was stood car to the driver's seat, but the door was opened so he could listen to the radio. The person on the radio was urging people to find the military, and seek shelter at the other side of the city. Amy then rubbed her chin, thoughtfully. She had an idea.

"Dad?"

"Hn?" He looked up.

"Do you think it might be a good idea to drive back? You know, see how everything is back at home?" She watched her father as he stared back. He appeared to be thinking about the idea, going through the pros and cons first. He then shook his head. Obviously, the Cons ruled the Pros out.

"The radio told us we should stay in the city. We should also head over to the shelter-"

Amy quickly cut him off. "But dad, this traffic isn't moving," she gestured to the row of cars in front of them, "so if we turn around back to our town, then maybe we can figure out what's going on?" She huffed as her dad shook his head. He was so stubborn! He continued her speech, "Also, isn't mom going to be worried about us?"

Her dad laughed, bitterly. "She will be worried about you, obviously. " He then explained, "I texted your mother. She knows we have to spend time in the shelter."

"So she knows about what's going with the... situation then?" Amy asked, unconvinced.

Her father simply nodded. In return, Amy snorted at him. She felt pretty annoyed with her father, and only wanted to know if mama was okay! She didn't want her to think they were ditching her. It looked like they were stuck in Atlanta. She felt very uneasy about this.


	2. No Mercy

Warnings: Gore

It had only been a week, but already their world had been turned into chaos. Amy and her father had managed to find the military shelter, but some people were turned down due to over-crowding, even family with kids. There was this wicked part of Amy that felt relived to be here instead of those families, because no one wanted to be on the streets with those disgusting... _creatures._ To be torn apart, limb by limb, and then to be devoured so greedily as you scream for your life.

Or worse, get bitten and become the undead.

Amy and her father were currently living in a high school building, used as a shelter to protect and feed people as long as possible. The army were helping to provide supplies for the citizens and everyone felt somewhat content with this, because at least those things couldn't get to you. 24/7 patrolling, guards on the watch and most all, reassurance from them. '_Don't worry. This will clear up before you know it.'_ This statement would keep the people's mind at rest, as the army men knew what was best, right?

However, Amy felt uneasy. She couldn't help but think this through logically... What if, for example, they ran out of food? What if the army suddenly ran out of ammo but most of all, what if this shelter was over-run by the undead for some reason? Fucked wasn't even the word for it.

Amy, her dad and the other people was all resting in the school gym. Everyone had a camp bed and while it wasn't exactly comfortable, it was better than sleeping on the floor.

It was evening time, and Amy was sat on her camp bed. She'd been casually reading a book she found lying around. Her dad wasn't with her, as he volunteered to help out in the shelter. He was a trained nurse, and thought he might as well be some use. Earlier, there was an emergency and he was called up for help. Apparently, someone was having a heart attack. He had been gone for a couple of hours, but she wasn't worried about him yet.

Amy was so absorbed by her book that she didn't see a figure approaching her, slowly. Just as she looked up, she felt herself literally jump out of her skin and gasped at the figure, "Oh shit!" She had given herself a fright.

"Hey, Amy...Oh, did I scare you?" It was Tom. He was a man in his thirties, and was also staying at the shelter. She had met him four days ago, and already got to know him really well. Despite herself, she couldn't help but really like the guy. He was funny, told lots of great stories and didn't seem arrogant. He was also quite good looking and for Amy, that was an added bonus.

She felt her heart pounding against her chest, but she managed to muster up a smile for him. "Yeah, well no. I've just been a bit jumpy lately, that's all." She quickly explained to him. She then put her book down, and gestured to the camp bed opposite her. "Sit."

"Thanks. Still, I'm sorry for scaring you." He apologised as he sat down.

"It's okay. So..."

Tom laughed. "So..."

"Is everything alright?" Amy asked. She suddenly felt concerned for her friend. He looked extremely tired and drained. She watched as he sighed, rubbing at his face.

"I don't know...I have been getting nightmares lately. Then I feel too troubled to go back to sleep again." He explained to her.

"Well that's understandable, after what you've been through." Amy said, nodding her head. She remembered when Tom told her what happened before he came to the shelter. A lot of people being ripped part, screaming out for his help... And there was nothing Tom could do. It was be killed or live, even for a little longer.

Tom shook his head at her. "Let's not talk about that. Where's your dad, anyway?" He asked, quickly changing the subject.

"He's been called out. Someone was having a cardio-arrest." She explained to him.

"Ah. Do you think that person will be able to make it?"

Amy sighed. "Actually, the chance of that person living is very slim. Sometimes performing CPR works, but most of the time... No."

Tom stared at Amy. "We can only hope." He whispered to her.

She could only smile at him. It seemed for the past week, all they had been doing is 'hoping'. Hoping for normality to come back, and hoping for their loved ones to be safe and well. Amy knew there was 'hope' floating around her, but soon enough it will soon disappear into 'despair' and 'pain'. Hell, some people around her were already experiencing it.

Tom and Amy then switched to another subject, mainly about their homes. Tom had been living in New York for the past nine years, but had come down to Atlanta to see his folks. As Tom had been on his own in the shelter, Amy assumed his parents died. He never mentioned his parents to Amy, but he was chatting about New York, and how much better it was than Atlanta. Amy readily agreed with him.

"I know. I've been there for the weekend, actually." She said. She remembered the time she and her friends went down for a weekend getaway. She fell in love with New York, the bustle of it all and how crazy it was, and the shopping! "I even wanted to go to their university." She explained Tom.

Tom raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh, really? So how come you didn't go to their university, then?" He curiously asked.

"Because I didn't get in, the bastards!"

Amy and Tom both started to laugh with each other. It wasn't particularly funny, but they still couldn't help themselves. Just as their laughter died down, Amy's dad turned up.

"Dad!" Amy quickly stood up, as did Tom. "How was it?" She asked. Her father shook his head.

"In an unstable condition at the moment, I don't think she'll make it." He answered gravely. Amy then caught him muttering under his breath, "More deaths..."

"Ah, Jesus..." Tom whispered. He looked very sad. Perhaps it was because he was getting tired of hearing bad news all the time. Amy's father simply shook his head, looking very tired and old.

Amy walked over to Tom, and gently squeezed his shoulder. "We can only hope, remember?"

An hour later, Tom said his goodbyes and left. In another hour, the guards will switch off the lights and tell everyone to go to sleep. Before the guards turn the lights out, she wanted to speak with her father. She was worried, because while Tom was with them, he hadn't said a word and was silently staring into space.

"Hey, Dad, are you okay?" She asked.

Slowly, he looked up at Amy. His eyes seemed to be glistened with tears. "Yes, honey. I'm okay. Why don't you carry on reading your book?" He suggested.

Suddenly, Amy felt angry with her Dad. He was trying to brush her off, as always! "Dad, I'm not thirteen anymore! You can talk to me about your problems, you know."

"I said 'I'm _fine_.'" He sharply said. Amy sighed. It was no use. He wasn't open with his feelings/problems before the apocalypse, so why would have been different now? Amy knew he had been under stress, and what happened today with the lady having a heart attack had really got to him.

"And you still not heard anything from mama?" Amy asked, whispering. Ever since Amy and her father got the shelter, the signals on all phones had been cut off. There was no way to communicate with any friends or family, and this not only frustrated everyone, but they were all sick with worry. Some people even cried, not knowing what to do.

"You know I'd tell you straight away if she did." He started to lie down on the camp bed, staring up at the ceiling. It was his way of saying, 'Leave me alone, Amy'.

"Okay, Dad." She muttered. She listened for another reply, but it never came.

Forty-five minutes of reading later, she heard the guard yell out, "Everyone, lights out in two minutes!" Amy got ready for bed. Her father was already asleep, snoring. Just as she tucked herself into bed, she heard the click of the light switch, and darkness quickly erupted around her. Usually, she had trouble sleeping as she can normally hear other people whimpering in their sleeps; most likely because of what they had experienced for the past week. However, Amy felt herself slowly drift off to sleep.

2:00 am

"Earl, come quickly! She's having another heart attack!" A harsh whisper was heard.

Amy slowly opened her eyes. It was still night time, but she saw a figure standing over her father's camp bed. Although she couldn't see the figure's facial expression, judging from the person's voice, she knew how panicked he was. When she heard her father's voice, she quickly shut her eyes and pretended to be asleep.

"What, what time is it?" He seemed disorientated.

"Man, wake up! It's my sister; she's having another heart attack again! We can't have any more deaths, not now... Please."

Fuck. No, I'm up! I'm up!" He kept repeating to the distressed man. Amy listened as her dad shuffled about, and also asked the man if the doctor had been called up, to which the man said yes. She finally opened her eyes, and watched as the two men disappeared down the hallway, quietly dodging the other camp beds. They finally got to the end of the hallway, opened a door and closed it behind them. Amy knew it was the door to the medical centre.

_Maybe I should follow them?_

Amy sat up. She wanted to help out her dad but truthfully, she wanted to be nosey, as bad as that sounded. She didn't want to go on her own, and although she knew where Tom slept, it was simply too dark to find him.

'I'm just worried about my dad.' After a few minutes, she flung the duvet off herself, got up and put her slippers on.

Amy tip-toed around the camp beds, and tried to be quiet. She tried not to make a sound, but at one point she ended up snubbing her little toe on the side of the camp bed, covering up her mouth as she tried not to yell out. She eventually hoped over to the door, opened it and walked through. She made whimpering noises as she examined her little toe, and by then it was bleeding.

She walked along the corridors, still trying to tip-toe along. So far she hadn't seen any guards, but Amy was on her best to be alert. She heard voices, but frustratingly she didn't know where they were coming from. She couldn't remember where the medical centre was, but was using her initiatives as the voices grew louder. Eventually, she stood outside a door that said 'Medical' above it. She pressed her ear against the door, and listened to the conversation.

"We got to keep performing CPR, she can't be..." This was man from earlier, who woke her father up. He sounded extremely distressed.

A woman's voice was then heard. Amy later learnt it was the doctor. "I'm afraid there's nothing more we can do for your wife-"

"_Sister," _He corrected, snapping. "And come on, it can't end like this. Earl, man..." He started to plead with her father. The voices then became muffled, and as she pressed her ear further against the door, she suddenly found herself pushing into the door and flying into the room. She landed on the floor with a loud 'thump', and felt stinging on her right ear. It appeared she had sliced her ear in the process.

"AMY! What are you doing here?!" Her father roared at her from the other side of the room. Awkwardly, she stood up. She really didn't know what to say. She looked at the man and the doctor. The man looked lost in own world, while the doctor looked annoyed. "WELL?" He roared at Amy. He was so angry.

"I-I'm sorry, dad. You've been so subdued and I just wanted to-"

"To be nosey, of course." He snorted in disgust at her.

Amy felt hurt. Why was he so angry? She had never seen him like this before. "What? No, no that's not what I-"

"Look, can't you guys talk privately? As you can tell, now's not the time." The doctor quickly interrupted. Amy looked at the man, and felt a pang of guilt. She didn't mean to intrude on them. In fact, she wanted to see if she could help out somehow. _I feel like such a horrible human being right now._

"Amy," Amy looked in her dad's direction. He was stood next to the body. "Just go back to bed. We'll talk about this-"

_**CRUNCH.**_

It all happened so quickly. One second her father was talking, and then the body was chomping on his shoulder blade. It was the lady who had 'died' earlier, crunching on her father. The lady had literally flung herself on Earl, gnarling loudly. It took Amy a second to process the information in, but the adrenaline soon kicked into action.

"DAD!" Amy screamed out, watching in horror. Her first instinct was to push the monster off, but she felt someone holding her back. "Let go of me!" She cried out, struggling against the hold.

Her father was crying out as the dead lady continued to bite into him. He tried to push her away, but she seemed to have a deathly grip on his arms to prevent him from doing so. The dead lady groaned as she was tearing away his human flesh, blood splattering all over the floor and wall. The blood looked almost black.

"We got to get out of here!" The doctor yelled out from behind Amy. She quickly realised it was the doctor holding her, and still struggled to get out of the tight grip.

"My sister... My sister..." The man looked shocked as he kept repeating the words. He was routed to the spot, simply staring as her dad screamed.

"Let go of me, you bitch!" Amy yelled, trying to elbow the doctor. The doctor's grip became stronger. Amy watched as her father helplessly yelled out for help, trying to get the dead person off him. For two seconds Amy looked at his face. She never saw her dad looking so desperate and panicked.

"We have to GO NOW!" The doctor roared. She swiftly opened the door and managed to throw Amy out into the corridor. The man, as if he had only realised his sister became a flesh-eating zombie, quickly ran out of the room. The doctor then locked the medical door. She shuddered as she listened to sound of screaming. He was pleading for mercy.

Amy was sobbing uncontrollability. _I'm dreaming, I'm dreaming._ She kept repeating in her head. To Amy, it didn't feel real at all. This just simply didn't happen in real life. It only happened in movies, and dreams. This was too strange to happen in real life.

A minute later, the doctor was on her walkie-talkie. She was still reeling in from the shock. "Hello? Yes, we have a 101 situation here. We need back up for the medical centre. Please, come NOW."

Within minutes, the army guards were running down the corridor, guns in hand. Amy watched as they kicked down the door and ran into the room. Seconds later, gun shots were heard. The man, who was now known as Tom, had his arms around her, trying to be comforting.

Amy never knew if her dad came back as one of them.

Author's Notes:

Thanks for the review, Siibi. Means a lot. To answer your question: I MIGHT pair the walking dead characters, tiny bit of romance, but not for Amy. I have other plans for Amy, and romance is NOT one of them.


	3. Into the Wild

"You can't tell anyone about this."

Amy looked at the man before her. He was wearing army gear clothing, but had a special badge on. She assumed he was a sergeant, or something, "Why the hell not?" She finally asked.

He shook his head, sighing. He seemed to find her annoying. "We don't want to upset people," he explained, "and if people knew we came back to life, even if we don't get bitten, then just think about the chaos that might happen in this shelter." He then straightened up, looking rather proud. "I got this place under control, and I intend to keep it that way."

Tony, the man had lost his sister, edged his way into the conversation. "And did you know about it all?" The sergeant gave him a puzzled look, not understanding what he meant. "I mean, about people coming back to life." He quickly said.

"Ah, right. No this is the first time I learnt of this. Would explain why there's so many God damn dead walking around in the first place..." He muttered under his breath.

Amy didn't say anything, wasn't even listening to their conversation. She was still in shock about what happened earlier. It was two hours ago when it happened, but it felt like it happened five minutes ago. Still, she just couldn't believe her dad was now dead. _What about my mom... Please let her be okay, please._

Half an hour later, Amy and Tony were escorted back to their camp beds. They were checked to see if they'd been bitten beforehand. Wordlessly, Amy lied down on her camp bed, eyes still opened. Tony was stood next to her, not knowing what to do. The army guards stalked away, not saying a word.

Tony cleared his throat. "Amy, I can stay with you if you want-"

"No, thank you." She was quiet for a couple of seconds, before saying, "I'm sorry about your sister, Tony."

"She was ill for a long time, but thank you." He replied. Further silence, before he said, "your father was a good man, Amy. He didn't deserve that."

Amy did not reply back. She felt too choked up. Eventually, she heard him walk away. Soon, she slowly drifted off to sleep.

She woke up again. It was now light, but people were still sleeping in their camp beds. She grabbed her wrist watch under her bed, and frowned. It was only 6:30 am. That meant she had one and half hours sleep. She looked across, and saw her father's camp bed was empty. For a split second she wondered why, until she realised he was dead.

It all happened so quickly. One minute he was shouting at her, the next he had a dead person clamping its teeth on his flesh. Amy tried to help, but that stupid doctor wouldn't let her! She kept pulling her back, yelling they needed to get out. The screams... Amy had never heard him like that before. He was crying out in sheer terror as the doctor pulled Amy out of the room.

The doctor explained to the guards that Tony's sister was not bitten. She couldn't understand why the lady came back.

Soon, the penny dropped. Amy had realised what it was.

Everyone was infected. If your brain was not destroyed, you'd come back, no matter what.

'So, if I was to take an overdose of pills... I'll come back anyway.' Amy thought, and shivered. She never wanted to come back and start killing people. It was a gruesome thought, and Amy wanted to be sick from just thinking about it.

She closed her eyes, remembering the father's last moment. He was begging for his life as the dead lady was biting into him. She appeared to be quite strong as her dad tried to fight it off, screaming. Amy tried to help him, but the doctor was holding her back! 'He might have had a chance if she helped him, or maybe she would've died along with him.

The sergeant, telling her and Tony not to tell anyone about the incident... What was that about? When he told her not to say anything, at the time she didn't have the energy to question him. She couldn't even think anyway. However, it was now bugging Amy. What if someone _did_ try to commit suicide in the middle of the night? That person would come back, and bite its teeth into the next guy they see. Everyone needed to be warned about this. The sergeant was being stupid.

Slowly, Amy got up from her camp bed and walked to the other side of the wall. The army guards had put cardboard over the windows, presumably so no one could look at the dead shuffling around. Being as quiet as she could, she unmasked the corner of the cardboard and peeked through the window.

The high school had gates around it, but on the other side the dead were shuffling around. Amy felt confused, as she thought the government would have sorted the mess out already. The walking corpses were already rotting badly, and when Amy looked closer at one of them, she noticed there were guts hanging out of its stomach.

She almost gagged, moving away from the window. She didn't think it was so bad out there. When Amy and her father found the shelter, they saw the odd one on the street. She didn't realise it would spread so quickly, as she assumed it was all under control.

Amy then gasped as she realised something. Her Mother! She was out there, all with those horrible things wondering around. She lost her dad, but she sure as hell didn't want to lose another parent. Her mom could be safe and well... Or she could be dead-

Amy quickly shook at her thoughts. No, her mom had to be alive still. Although in Atlanta the city was clearly in chaos, maybe where her mother was wasn't so bad?

Slowly, Amy walked back to her bed. She continued to think about her plan. She didn't know how to drive, so she couldn't hijack a car and drive down to her home town. The only option was to simply walk.

Walk down to Macon.

She knew it would be a long way. From Macon to Atlanta it was about ninety five miles long. Usually, if her parents drove her it would take just under two hours. However, Amy calculated that if she walked non-stop to Macon, it would take her over a day. She'd have to leave in the morning, and arrive at night. Amy didn't want to think about the zombies, and told herself she'd deal with that plan later.

There were also other issues; she needed bring food and water. Amy thought about saving up her food rations, but then again she felt utterly desperate to escape the shelter. She no longer felt safe after what happened last night. She felt at any minute, something will crack and reveal its ugly head. She needed to get out of the shelter, as soon as possible.

A few hours later, Amy walked up to Tom. He sat at a table on his own, writing down on a note pad. She felt she had to say good bye before she left, and needed to explain to him what happened with her father. Tom needed to be warned.

Amy stood before Tom. He didn't notice her, as he appeared so absorbed on his writing. Perhaps it was his journal? She cleared her throat. "Urm, Tom?"

Tom looked up quickly, and then grinned at her. "Hey, I was going to find you!" He then gestured to the chair next to him. "Why don't you sit?" He asked, politely.

Amy shook her head at him. "No, Tom... I need to tell you something." She felt her heart hammering against her chest. For some reason, she felt anxious about telling him her plan.

Suddenly looking concerned, Tom closed his note pad and dropped his pencil onto the table. He was staring at Amy, as if trying to search for something. "Amy, is everything okay?" He asked.

Again, Amy shook her head. "My dad..." She faltered, trying to find the right words. She felt her throat tightening, almost hurting her. She didn't want to cry. She tried again and said, "I can't tell you _how_, but my dad... my dad is dead."

Tom stood up, scraping the chair loudly. Some people looked over, but quickly lost interest again. He then ran over to Amy and hugged her. She allowed him, and felt her tears flowing freely. Finally, he let go and looked at her. He looked confused. "I don't understand. Why can't you tell me how he died, Amy?"

Amy closed her eyes. Sighing, she replied, "I've been told not to. Tom, I'm getting out of here. This place isn't safe."

Tom's eyes grew wide. He took a step back, still looking at her. "Amy, I don't understand! What happened? Why are you leaving?"

Amy looked around, ignoring his question. She noticed two army guards, whispering to each other. They then shot a glare at Amy. She quickly averted her gaze at Tom, who was beginning to look terrified. "I can't say why. I just have to get out of here." She explained, whispering to him.

"Can't you at least give me a clue?" He asked.

"No." She glanced at the army guards, and quietly said, "I think they're trying to listen to our conversation."

He nodded his head, understanding. "So what is your plan then?"

"I'm going to leave this place and then walk down to Macon, where I live. I want to see if my mom is still alive."

Tom raised an eyebrow at her. "Amy, there's a couple of problems you have. One, there are zombies wondering around. I doubt they'd let you walk by. Two, Macon is quite far-"

Amy interrupted him. "I _know_." She sharply said. He didn't mean to, but she felt like he was patronising her. She continued talking, "Don't you think I haven't thought of that? I know there are dead wondering around, and I know Macon is miles away, but what choice do I have?"

"I'm sorry, Amy" Tom muttered. He then ran fingers through his hair, sighing. He appeared to be thinking. Finally, he said, "I can't let you go on your own. I'm coming with you."

Amy felt genuinely shocked. She wasn't expecting that. "Tom, you don't have to!" She quickly said.

He shook his head. "I couldn't let anything happen to you. You need someone with you. Someone who can take care of you, at least." He then shrugged his shoulders at Amy, smiling.

"Tom, I don't know what to say..."

"You don't have to. Not after what you have been through. If you need to get out of here, then I'm coming with you."

For an hour, Tom and Amy discussed a plan. They needed to get out of the building, but they also needed to steal supplies. Tom had also expressed they needed a weapon; a baseball bat, anything blunt they could use in case something tried to attack them. Luckily, Tom had a wooden stick he used before he came to the shelter.

"I think I know how we can get out of this building." Amy said. Tom looked at her, urging her to explain. "There was this doctor from last night. She saw my father die. Maybe due to what happened, she'll show us the way out, maybe even give us the supplies."

He nodded his head, agreeing with the plan. "I know she's always stuck in the medical centre. Hell, she practically sleeps there."

Amy looked at him. "We can go tonight. Gather up everything. Bring your weapon, and anything like water, food... Anything. Then when the lights go out, me and you can meet at the door," she pointed to the double door at the end, "and sneak to the doctor's office."

"What if she says no?"

Amy pursed her lips, trying to think. "If she says no, then we'll just have to look for the exit. Either way, I'm not staying here and waiting for a death sentence."

It was dark by the time they'd finished discussing. They both returned to their own beds, to try and relax for a bit. She sat down on her bed, suddenly feeling scared. She remembered when she and her father got to the shelter, they were given rules. One of the rules was: _You do not leave the shelter. Anyone caught, will be shot on sight._ The rule baffled Amy, but perhaps it was their way of trying to reduce infections? She still couldn't grasp the logic of their rules, but she knew the doctor was their only hope if they wanted to get out.

"Lights out!"

It had been a few hours, but for Amy, it felt like days. She was sick with worry. Ten minutes later, she gathered up her supplies, and crept to the door. She saw Tom, waiting. Without a word, they opened the door crept through the corridor.

Before they knew it, they were outside the medical centre. The lights were on, much to Amy's relief. Gulping, she knocked on the door, and waited.

The door flung open. The doctor was stood before them, who blinked a couple of times. "Oh!" She mustered, looking at Amy.

Straightening herself up, Amy said, "Doctor, we need your help."

The doctor shook her head, before saying, "O-of course. Come in, please." She stepped aside, allowing the couple to walk in.

Amy felt the urge to be sick when she saw the room. She stared at the floor. There were pink stains all over, splattered everywhere. She heard Tom whisper, "Oh, Jesus..."

Awkwardly, the doctor cleared her throat and asked, "What can I do for you?"

Amy looked at the doctor. "I need to get out of here. After what happened last night..."

"I know. I'm very sorry for what happened, Amy."

Amy ignored her. "We need your help so you can show us the way out."

The doctor nodded. "I don't blame you. I can sneak you and your friend out so you can be unnoticed. Was there anything else?" She asked.

"Well..." Amy looked at Tom. He gave her a little nod, urging her on. She said, "We need medicine supplies. You know, in case anything happened to one of us."

The doctor smiled sadly. "I'm afraid I can't give you anything."

"What? Why not?" Tom spoke out. He looked crossed.

"There's a limited supply, and people here need it. Plus, the military do checks on the supply. I won't be able to explain if they notice the medicine has disappeared." She watched them. They were both quiet. She then said, "But I can show you the way out. It's the least I can do."

Half an hour later, Tom and Amy were shown a door. There were a few times when they had to hide away from the guards, but luckily were they unnoticed. It appeared the guards weren't well trained.

The doctor took a deep breath. She took Amy by the shoulders and whispered, "I hope you know what you're doing."

"I need to find my mom." Amy simply replied. The doctor could only smile at her.

Opening the door, they both stepped outside. The night was chilly, even though it was summer. It was surprisingly quiet, as well.

Amy never did find out the doctor's actual name.

**A/N:** First off, I would like to thank for the favourite/follows. I didn't even think this would be read, so thank you. I like writing, but even getting some support urges me to write more. If you would like to review, please do. That means you can criticise it. I'm not just after praise, but I want to improve on my writing, but just don't be evil about it! ;.; Other than that, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Sorry if it's slow paced, but it will catch up soon.


	4. Welcome to Hell

**Warning:** Swearing, gore.

The school door closed shut behind them, quietly. The doctor had leaded them to the side of the high school, so they couldn't be spotted by the guards. She had explained to Tom and Amy it was an emergency exit for staff, in case the shelter become disruptive, or something. When the doctor had told them that, Amy couldn't help but feel relived. The military were willing to save themselves, but not the people they were supposed to be protecting?

A few minutes later, Tom and Amy managed to get on the street. As it was night time, it was dark and eerie. There was no electricity, so it was hard to see around them. They couldn't spot the dead wondering around the street, much to Amy's relive.

"Just keep your eyes peeled, Amy." Tom whispered.

Amy nodded, and then observed, "It's so quiet." From the corner of her eye, she saw Tom shake his head at her.

"Don't be fooled, is all I'm saying." She watched as he gripped his baseball bat, and muttered, "Let's keep walking."

As they walked along the street, Amy couldn't believe how different the streets looked. Shop windows were smashed in, presumably looted by thieves. Cars were scattered all around the area, but in no condition to drive. There was rubbish and junk thrown around. The city was in a terrible state. The only thing confused Amy was: Where were the dead people? She was even expecting dead corpses all over the ground, but she didn't even see that.

Suddenly, Tom's voice broke in. "Amy, don't you have a weapon with you?" He asked, sounding worried.

Amy stopped walking and blinked at him. In all honestly, she had completely forgotten about that. She also assumed Tom would take care of those things. "I've never hit anything before." She answered lamely.

"Amy!" He exclaimed, looking surprised. "I mean, of course you've never hit anything before, but these things will kill before you can say 'when'. Seriously, you NEED a weapon. I can't believe you didn't think of bringing one! You're the one who told me to bring a weapon, so why didn't you?"

She suddenly felt annoyed. She didn't need a lecture of him! She interrupted "I'm sorry, okay? I've been too busy trying to get the fuck out of_ that_ place, and gathering up my other supplies. Look," she softened her voice, "let's just concentrate on getting out of this city, and find my mom. I'm sure there's some kind of weapon lying around, anyway." She quickly added.

Tom simply nodded his head. He then muttered, "I'm sorry. We should find a car that's moveable then."

For half an hour they trekked along the city. The city was deathly silent. She'd never seen anything like it before. No sound of cars honking at each other, or even police cars sounding their sirens like it normally was. It was creepy, and it almost made her want run back to the shelter, but the thought of her mother urged her forward.

The abandoned cars were still messed up. The cars either had no keys in them, or gas had completely run out. Amy had thought of walking to Macon, but whilst Tom and she were discussing the plan at the shelter, he explained they'd both be too exhausted to walk and were better off hijacking a car instead. A good plan, if there were any cars to use!

The pair was marching in silence. Not because they didn't know what to say, but because they were simply tired. Amy had hardly slept for the last couple of days, and Tom had trouble sleeping. Still, Amy wanted to say something to him, as she felt he deserved to know what she found out the other night. "Tom, we're all infected."

He tripped on the ground as she told him. Trying to regain his composure, he stared at her in disbelief. "What? What do you mean? We're not zombies, are we?" He asked stupidly, confused.

"No. Look, you remember that lady who had a heart attack?" She waited for him to nod, and continued when he did, saying, "Well, she died, but she came back as one of _them_. She then..." She found herself struggling, but then eventually finished the sentence, "She then killed my dad. Bit into him. That's when the doctor pulled me and other guy out of the room. She then talked on the radio, asking for back up. I don't know if my dad was already dead, or came back to life, but when the army men turned up, there was a lot of shooting in the medical centre." She stopped talking, realising how blank her voice sounded. She had no emotion in it, but in her heart, she felt pain and anger.

Tom looked genuinely upset for her. "Amy," He whispered, "I'm so sorry."

She straightened up, ignoring his sympathy. "We have to find my mother..."

Just as she nearly finished her sentence, she saw a small figure shuffle in the far distance. It was small enough to be a kid.

"Oh my God!" She gasped out.

"What, what is it?!" Tom became alerted, getting ready to swing his bat.

Amy looked again for the figure, but couldn't see it. Still, she didn't want to ignore the child and yelped at Tom, "It's a kid! I think the child became scared, and is injured. I got to help out!" Before Tom could protest, Amy sprinted forwards.

She heard Tom's voice, yelling at her, but ignored it completely. The child needed her help, could be injured!

About twenty seconds later, she saw the child again, back turned towards her. Judging from the length of hair, the kid was a girl. The girl's blonde hair was tangled up in knots, and clothes were in tatters. She had a horrible stench, but Amy assumed the girl hadn't washed in a while.

"Little girl, are you alright?" She asked, edging closer. Again, Tom was yelling at her, but she didn't pay any attention him. She was more concerned about the girl in front of her.

Slowly, the girl turned her body around. Amy quickly realised this girl wasn't alive. The girl's eyes looked vacant and pale, and the skin on its face was nearly hanging off. Before Amy could react, the dead girl lounged at her.

"Guuh-WAAAHHHH!" It screeched, knocking Amy to floor. Amy had managed to grab its shoulders, trying to push it away. The dead girl was very close to her face, clamping its teeth up and down, hungry for human flesh. The girl's breath was almost unbearable, and Amy tried her hardest to push it off, but the dead girl was surprisingly strong.

The girl suddenly got closer to Amy's nose, threatening to bite down on it. As Amy thought, 'This is it. I'm going to die!' a sickening crack was heard above her.

She felt the girl become still, and quickly pushed it away from her. She then looked up, and saw Tom standing above, bat in hand. He had bashed the girl's skull in order to save Amy. She looked to dead girl next to her, who in turn, stared lifelessly back at her.

"Fucking Jesus CHRIST!" Tom roared at Amy, roughly grabbing at her arm to pull her up. "What the fuck was you thinking, Amy? You could have died if it wasn't for me!"

"I'm sorry-"

He interrupted, "And I was shouting after you, telling you to wait for me, but you just ran off!" He then tightly gripped her shoulders, causing her to yelp out. He didn't seem to care, though. "This world is no playground. There are dead people everywhere, and they don't care about you or me. They don't care about the pain they inflict. They just want to eat us. Don't you understand?!"

"I thought she was alive, okay? I didn't think-"

"We're not in some kind of a movie where kids don't get killed!" He barked, causing her to flinch. "Most of the population has been turned, don't you get it?"

Amy didn't say anything. She felt stupid. He had a fair point, after all.

"I'm sorry." He suddenly apologised. "You haven't been in this kind of world before, but I have. I have experienced fighting off the dead. That's why I offered to come with you, because I didn't want you to get killed. Now I'm glad I have come with you. No weapon, and then you run off to a girl who happened to be dead." He grabbed Amy's chin, forcing her to look at his face. He looked seriously annoyed, yet relieved at the same time. "From now on, you stick with me. Promise?"

Slowly, she nodded her head. "I promise..."

Satisfied, he let go off her chin. Amy rubbed her chin, glaring at him. He had hurt her, but she kind of deserved it. He shook his head at her, not saying a word. He was so angry.

She decided to change subject. "What shall we do now then?" She enquired.

Same as last time, I guess. We are to keeping looking for a working car." He simply answered.

Amy and Tom started to walk, but after a few minutes, heard noises behind them.

_Shuffle, shuffle._

It sounded like there people behind them, dragging their feet along. It caused the pair to look behind, but Amy instantly regretted it. She felt the blood drain away from her face.

There were at least twenty zombies behind them, about ten feet away.

"RUN!" Tom yelled, forcing Amy to move, and both of them ran down the street. The dead people were hissing and groaning loudly, trying to move quicker. Amy couldn't understand where they had come from. Not long ago, the city was quiet as a mouse!

"Shit, SHIT. We must have made a lot of noise from earlier, and they heard us!" Tom panted, sounding panicked. They were running as fast as they could, but didn't know where to go. They could hear the dead ghouls in the distance, howling for flesh.

Amy looked around at the buildings, but knew it would be pointless. The windows and doors were completely smashed up, and could easily be followed through by the dead. It seemed as if Tom and Amy were running off to a dead end.

Suddenly, Tom had spotted something. "Look!" He yelled, pointing to the right. Amy looked over and saw a car. "We can try and see if the car works!"

She looked behind, and although the zombies were now quite far behind, time still couldn't be wasted. "Let's try it out then!" She agreed readily.

The pair ran over to the car, and flung the car door open. Thankfully, the car keys were inside. Amy looked at the meter, and noticed there was a bit of gas left.

"Tom, this car might work!" Just as Amy said this, there were more dead people in the distance, in front of them. "Oh shit!" Amy was beginning to panic. This was definitely feeling like a dead end.

"Quick, get in the car!" Tom jumped into the driver's seat, turning the keys. At first, the car gave out a pathetic cough. However, soon enough, the engine started to run.

Just as the car drove away, the dead managed to catch up and bang at the windows, growling loudly. Amy was screaming, looking at a dead man trying to claw at the window. The car then speeded away, knocking down a few zombies.

Somehow, Amy and Tom got lucky.

Tom and Amy managed to drive the car out of the city. They didn't say a word to each other, as they were both shocked from what had happened. After thirty miles driving the car down to Macon, it decided to break down... They still had around sixty miles to Macon.

**A/N's:** A bit fast paced, but I wanted there to be a bit action in this chapter. Amy is still trying to learn about the new world, but is a bit naive about it all, and that frustrates Tom. The next chapter will be quite shocking, and I'm debating whether I should write it in or not (I don't want to offend people ect). Either way, hope you enjoyed reading the story so far! Just to let you know, I will be introducing the Walking Dead characters at chapter seven. Exciting times, eh! P.S Don't forget to review/follow/favourite. I value everyone's opinion.


	5. No Hope Left

Early morning, and the car had already broken down.

It was expected, as the car didn't have much gas in it. However, they were in such a panic back in the city, any kind of transport was acceptable, lucky to have even found a vehicle. They managed to get out of the city alive, and now Amy needed to find her mother.

But they were sixty miles away from Macon. It was virtually impossible to walk all the way down.

Amy sighed, and for the first time in eight days, desperately needed a cigarette. Since the whole 'end of the world' shit happened, she didn't crave for a cigarette. She only smoked a few times a day, trying to cut down, but after what happened in the city, she felt she could smoke about thirty in one sitting. Amy was already out of the car, as Tom went to investigate the other cars on the motor way. Tom told her to keep watch next to their car, but she flung the door open, thinking there might be a carton of cigarettes somewhere. There wasn't, and she felt the urge to burst into tears. She really needed a cigarette.

She then looked over at Tom. There were only a couple of cars where they stopped, and Tom had already checked them out. Amy saw the look on his face; disappointment. Obviously, the two vehicles did not work either. Nothing but bad luck since they left the shelter, it seemed.

"Find anything in the cars, at least?" Amy shouted over, hopeful.

Tom strolled over. He looked defeated. "Nothing useful, if that's what you mean." He finally stopped in front of Amy, arms folded. His bat was dangling next to him.

"Nothing to smoke, even?" Amy asked quietly. For some reason, she felt guilty asking him this. Since they left the shelter, he'd been quite stern with her. She knew why, though, as she was so naive back in the city. Still, he made her feel like a small child.

Tom blinked twice at her. "I didn't know you smoked?" He then shook his head, smiling. "No, I didn't see any. I was looking for some, as well." He admitted, sheepishly.

"Two smokers with no smokes..." Amy mused out loud. Tom simply snorted.

"So, no car and we're stuck out here. Got a plan, by any chance?" Tom asked.

Amy could only sigh in response. "We might as well keep walking until we find something?"

He nodded, flung his rucksack over his shoulders. Amy did the same thing. Earlier, she'd found a wooden stick lying on the floor. It felt sturdy enough, quite long too. She picked the stick back from the floor, and then looked at Tom, letting him know she was ready.

Then, without another word, they silently walked down the motor way.

Amy looked around their surroundings as they walked. Like it was back in the city, it was eerily quiet. However, everywhere you looked, was destroyed. Lamp posts thrown across the road (perhaps it was lucky their car had broke down, as they wouldn't of been able to cross the road), and it had all looked so messy. Amy thought, when the whole zombie business was done, it would take the government years to clean the whole mess up.

Further ahead, and Amy gasped quietly. On the other side of the road, a dead body lies, head down. Dried blood resting around the body, and when Amy squinted her eyes, she could see its head had been blown up. Despite what happened in the city, she still couldn't help but feel sick. As they walked past the body, she nearly threw up. The stench was awful. Rotting meat filled her nostrils, making her eyes water. Perhaps she should've been used to this back in the city, but the truth was, as they ran away from the dead, she simply didn't have time to smell them. Pumped full of adrenaline, all she wanted to do was escape.

As they walked further down, the intrusive smell disappeared. Then, in the far distance, Amy saw rows of cars. "Urm, Tom?" She began.

"I know, I know. Let's have a look." He then ran forward, causing Amy to follow him.

Finally, they saw the cars, but it wasn't good. Rows of cars rammed into each other, it would've been impossible drive down. The middle of the road was barricaded by the metal bar, and they'd have to risk damaging their car to drive through it. Amy knew it wasn't a risk they could take, as she didn't want to make lots of noises, or the car being ruined. The car is ruined, and then stuck with flesh-eating zombies... Never a good idea!

"What now?" Amy asked him. Positively, she hoped he had some kind of idea, but he simply shook his head instead.

"I don't know. We can't just keep walking..." He looked around, hoping to find a solution. He then sighed, looking exhausted. "I-"

Without warning, a dead man suddenly jumped up and grabbed at Tom's arm, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground.

The monster then climbed on top of Tom, trying to bite into him, aiming for his arm. Tom had managed to keep the monster away, but he was unable to throw it off. The zombie was stronger than it looked. Tom then began to shout, "Amy, get my bat and bash his head, quick!"

Amy froze.

She stared, watching as Tom struggled against the dead person. It was growling and snarling, desperate to sink its rotten teeth into Tom. She felt so scared, she couldn't move. She didn't know what to do.

"Amy, please, _help._"

Suddenly, Amy snapped out of it. She needed to save Tom before it was too late. Grabbing the bat, she aimed for the head and forced it down. It made a sickening crack, but she did it again. And again. And again.

For the first time, she had to kill something. She looked at her hands, and realised how much she was shaking. It was a frightening experience, but knew she would have to keeping doing this in order to survive.

She watched as Tom threw the body off him. He looked confused, baffled even. "Where the fuck did it come from?" He demanded, staring at the body in shock.

"It just came out of nowhere..." Amy replied. Then again, perhaps it had been lying on the floor but they didn't notice it? She then watched as Tom glared at her, looking disgusted, as if he'd noticed her for the first time.

"You nearly had me killed." He simply said.

Amy stumbled back, feeling stunned. "What? No, I-" She was lost for words as Tom cut in.

"Next time, do it straight away. Don't just stand there looking stupid." Without another word, he shoved past Amy. She didn't answer back and soon trailed after Tom.

They didn't say another word to each other. Amy felt so guilty. That thing nearly killed Tom, and if Amy hadn't snapped out of it, who knew what would have happened next? She needed to be stronger. She needed to stop being so... scared. At first, in the shelter, she was determined to be strong and know what she was doing, but since she stepped out of the shelter... It was as if everything had crumbled. She became frightened, constantly relying on Tom for protection. He was becoming increasingly frustrated with her, she could tell.

She didn't want him to hate her, or to think she was weak. Every time something had happened, he'd snap at her. He was the one who wanted to help Amy, so why was he being like this for?

"Amy..." She heard Tom's voice beside her. Without saying anything, she looked at him. He looked gloomy. "I'm sorry, okay? It's your first time being out... here. And what had happened with your dad..."

Amy listened as his voice trailed off. She didn't say anything, but simply nodded. It was a gesture to show she was okay with him.

So they marched on. They walked as they passed through the rows of cars, scattered all over the roads. In one of the cars, a dead family was seen. Two little girls, a mother and finally, a father who had a shot gun stuck in his mouth. Clearly, a suicide pact was made. _Perhaps for the better..._ Amy pondered, glancing once more at the deceased family.

Just as they were beginning to feel exhausted, Amy noticed a house on a hill. She suddenly felt uplifted. "Tom," She grabbed at him, "Look!" She exclaimed, pointing over to the house.

Tom looked in Amy's direction. "It's the first house we've seen in a while!" He said, suddenly excited.

"Let's go up!" Amy suggested, and without saying anything, started running towards the house. Tom followed.

Amy felt exhausted from running up the hill, but didn't care as they finally got to the house. The house had a few smashed windows, but when they tried to open the front door, it was locked. She peeped through the windows, but could only see darkness. "Looks like no one is in..." She muttered to herself.

Tom rolled his eyes at her. "Well, obviously. Come on, let's try the back." Amy frowned at him for being sarcastic, but nevertheless agreed to try the back door.

They slowly opened the back gate, and listened. Listened in case something was... there. A couple of minutes later, they heard nothing, so moved into the garden.

The garden appeared overrun and shabby. A tricycle was sprawled carelessly on the ground, and a swinging swaying quietly to the wind. Amy spotted the back door, and felt thankful when it opened.

"We can rest here for a bit. See if there's any food about, and then head off again." Amy agreed with his idea. "We also need to make sure there aren't any... Urm..." He struggled to find the word.

Amy raised an eyebrow at him. "Zombies? The dead?"

Tom shook his head, smiling. "Let's just go in and check."

Twenty minutes later, they checked the entire house. It was empty, but so were most of the food. It appeared the house had been burgled a few times. Luckily, Amy and Tom managed to pack some food before they left, and were sat on the sofa sharing a tin of beans, cold. Amy didn't feel particularly hungry, so she let Tom finish off the rest. She simply felt too anxious. Anxious to see her mother, and about how they were going to get to Macon. When Tom finally finished eating, she looked at him and asked, "What are we going to do, Tom?"

Tom looked at her. He didn't seem to know himself. "I don't know..." He finally said. "I guess our best bet is to walk down the motor way road."

"But what if we find another hoard again?" She felt a feeling of dread. They had a lucky escape in the city, but who was to say they'd have more luck again?

Tom frowned at her. "Well, we'll think of something. They're dumb as fuck, you know. I'm sure we can outrun them."

She didn't say anything. After a while, she started to yawn. It had been a while since she slept. "Do you think we could rest here for a bit?" She asked.

Tom looked at his watch. "It's 11 o'clock in the morning. So I guess we could sleep for a couple of hours and get moving again? I'll make sure the doors and windows are barricaded, though." He quickly added.

A few minutes later, Amy found herself sleeping in a little boy's bedroom. It was as if no one had lived in here for years. However, the bed was comfortable as she snuggled into the pillows. For a split second, it felt like a normal night, preparing herself for university tomorrow. Slowly, she drifted off into sleep. Tom was still awake, so he'd wake her up...

But she woke up on her own. She shouted for Tom, but there was no answer. She started to panic as she searched in every room, calling out for him, the rooms empty. She walked into the living room, noticed he had taken all of their stuff. He left her! He actually left her!

She then felt a stinging sensation in her neck, and realised Tom had turned into a zombie, and was biting her, hard. She struggled as he chewed, screaming out in pain. Suddenly, he let go. She then wondered over to a mirror in the hallway, and stared into it. Her long, brown hair tangled into a mess, blood dried into it. Skin had turned from pale to sickly green, and maggots pouring out of her eye sockets...

Muffled voices.

She gasped out, clutching at her chest. She felt her heart hammering heavily, and her skin felt hot and clammy. She had a nightmare. She then frowned, hearing voices coming from downstairs. She threw the covers off her body, and crept to the door, listening in. She heard Tom's voice, and then an unfamiliar one. What the fuck?

Finally, she opened up the bedroom door, and crept onto the stairway. The voices were now clearer.

"Well, we were on our way to Macon? You know, to make sure her mom is okay." Tom.

"Ah, well I'm pretty much doing the same thing. Going back to my old work place, to make sure everyone is okay there. Still, I can't help but wonder..." A male voice.

"Wonder what?"

The man's voice went quiet. He then replied, "If I'm just being foolish. There are dead people everywhere. The airbase might be in complete ruins, and yet here I am, travelling up there."

"It's always good to make sure. It's why Amy wanted to go to Macon in the first place, and for what it's worth, I think you have a pretty good idea."

A sigh could be heard.

Amy then walked down the stairs. The two men were sat on the sofa. They both quickly jumped, as if ready for action. When they saw it was only Amy, they relaxed again.

"Amy, glad you're up," Tom began, clearing his throat. "I want you to meet Mark. He just happened to find this house searching for supplies."

Amy looked at Mark. He looked as if he was in his early thirties. He had short, spiky brown hair and soft blue eyes which were covered by a pair of glasses. He seemed... friendly. Mark gave an awkward wave and said, "Hey."

"Hello." She replied. "I'm sorry. I kind of overheard your conversation. You're going to the airbase?" She asked Mark.

He nodded in reply, and then answered. "Yeah, that's right. To make sure my friends and work colleagues are okay... And for supplies, like food and weapons." He added.

Tom cut in. "Amy, Mark said he can give us a ride to Macon. He's got a car and knows a different way there, seeming as the motor way is so jammed packed."

Mark chuckled slightly. "Well, I couldn't just leave you guys out here. Who knows what could happen?"

Another stroke of luck? Either way, Amy was grateful. "Thank you. I don't know what to say..."

Mark waved dismissively at her. "Don't worry, kiddo. We have to help each other out, right?"

The three people decided to go through the house once more for supplies, in case they missed anything. Finally, they set off in Mark's car.

It took them three hours, but they finally made it to Macon. Obviously, Amy had to give Mark the direction to her house. After another ten minutes, they finally pulled up outside her house.

Quickly, Amy flung the car door open. She gave the house a once look over. Well, it looked tidy. No broken windows or anything. She ran over to the front pouch, but quickly stopped when she noticed blood all over the wooden floor. No... It can't be!

She heard Tom behind her, "Amy, we should probably just leave it-"

No, no! She flung the front door open and ran inside. More trails of blood, but it was leading upstairs. She then spotted a piece of paper on the side table with words scribbled on it. Carelessly, she picked up it and started to read.

_Dear Amy and Earl,_

_ If you ever get the chance to read this letter, I will be dead. I got bitten. I was bitten in this house by my old friend. I managed to kill him, but it was too late._

_Amy, I just wanted to say how much I loved you. I only wanted the best for you, but I had never been so proud when you set off to university in Atlanta. You're 20 years old and had your whole life ahead of you, and now its going be taken away from you. Amy, please stay safe. Stay with your father, I know he can protect you. I love you._

_Earl, I love you. I always have done. I'm so sorry, baby. I'm sorry. We used to scream and curse at each other; I couldn't stand the sight of you. Now, all I want to do is hold you, like how we used to. Since this whole thing had started, I realised how stupid I'd been. Please forgive me, Earl. _

_I'm now going to leave this house and allow myself to die. I can feel the fever. It burns so much. I don't know long I can take it._

_I love you both, always._

_Jennifer._

Some dried blood was smeared on the paper.

Amy felt defeated, collapsing onto the floor, tears rolling at the end of her nose. She couldn't speak, not even when Mark and Tom tried to get her to answer. It was a horrible realisation she had lost everyone, her family, and maybe her friends. She felt Mark gently take the piece of paper away from her, and after a few minutes heard him whisper, "Oh no..."

"What, what is it?" Tom asked.

"Her mother is dead."

A/N: Thanks for taking the time to read this story. Mark has been introduced! Will he stay in for the story? Stay tuned and find out...


	6. Upside Down

**_WARNING:_** A lot of swearing, adult themes and violence.

_Four months later..._

Amy, Tom and Mark were hiding out in her house, gathering up food and supplies.

Trying to survive.

After the shock of her mother's death, Amy didn't know what to do. She didn't have a Plan B. Tom had wanted to go back to New York, but knew it was unrealistic; and pointless. Mark was in despair, he didn't know whether to go to the Air Base, or to stay with Amy and Tom. In the end, he asked the pair to come with him to the air base. They both accepted the proposal. It was better than sitting in Amy's house, and waiting for a miracle.

When they did drive to the Air Base, Amy felt her heart sink to the floor. The entire place was packed full of the undead, wondering aimlessly behind the gates. It turned out they couldn't stay there, but luckily, Mark knew where the food supplies were kept.

So Tom and Mark had to sneak in. They asked Amy to look after the car, and to shout out if danger was alert. They also told her to leave if they didn't return in two hours.

However, they did return, and what a treat it was! Medicines, food, water and there was even some candy! For the first time in a few days, Amy felt slightly happy. _We're going to be okay_, she thought, quickly throwing the boxes to the car boot. The dead had managed to break free from the gates, but they soon managed to get away. Amy actually laughed at them as they drove off, while Tom was giving them the finger. Mark simply chuckled and shook his head at them.

Present day, and the food was slowly running out. She counted the supply, and realised they had a month left, if that. Tom was out of the house, trying to gather up more supplies. Amy was in her own bedroom, whilst Mark was downstairs, reading one of her father's book collections.

The house had been completely boarded up. They didn't want to risk the dead wondering in, and so far it had worked. There was this one time when a Growler kept banging on their door, but when a bang was heard out in the distance, it decided to follow the noise instead.

Growler was a new name the group decided to come up with. Mark stated he didn't feel comfortable calling them zombies all the time, so they suddenly came up with the name 'Growlers', mainly because they'd growl if you took a step towards them. Mark was right, though. There was something hideous about calling them 'zombies'.

Amy was trying to get warm inside her bed, but it was impossible. She was simply too cold. Winter was approaching, but the house wasn't going to keep them warm. She remembered when her mother used to keep the heating on during winter, because if you ever turned it off, you could eventually see your own breath in the air. Gas bill was high, but worth it.

"We might have to stay in the same room together soon..." Amy muttered to herself, shivering.

After another five minutes, she decided to move around for a bit, to get warm. She threw the covers off herself and wondered downstairs and into the living room. She stood at the door way, watching Mark. He was reading a book called 'IT' by Stephen King. He appeared to be lost in his own world, not realising Amy was watching him. She eventually cleared her throat. "Mark?"

Mark jumped up, looking terrified. "Jesus!" He gasped, clutching at the book. "I'm sorry, kid. You scared me a little."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't read a Stephen King novel." Amy teased, sitting on the sofa.

Mark smiled, shaking his head. "I know. Not the most appropriate read with what's going on now, but I've always liked his writing." He explained, gently putting the book down. Amy noticed he had a blanket around him.

"I was thinking... Maybe we have to sleep in the same room together soon. You know, to get more heat in?"

Mark tightened the blanket around him. "I agree. I have a horrible feeling it's going to be a harsh winter..."

Amy bit her lips, worried. "Yeah. We'll get through it, though. As long as we make our supplies last, and keep our protection..."

Mark then looked worried. "I swear, this town is getting worse."

Amy frowned at him. "What do you mean?"

He pulled his hands over his face, looking exhausted. He then explained, "All of the shops have been stripped bare. There is _nothing _in them anymore, only dust gathering up. I always check the stores, just to double check, but to no such luck. The houses have nothing in them either. All been raided or burgled."

"There's got to be something..."

"Maybe, unless you like eating dog food? Because seriously, that's all I can find now. Fucking _dog food._" He muttered the last sentence under his breath.

Suddenly, a loud knocking erupted, causing Amy and Mark to jump. Mark immediately grabbed his gun. "I think it came from the front door..." Amy whispered, feeling her heart hammering against her chest.

Another knock came, echoing down the hallway. A voice was then heard. "Open up. It's me!" It was Tom.

"Jesus Christ!" Mark let out a sigh of relief, letting his guard down. The gun was still held in his hands, though.

"I'll get the door quickly." Amy offered. She then sprinted to the front door, fiddling around with the locks. "Just a minute, and keep your voice down next time!" Just as she opened the door slightly, she felt herself forced backwards, and was knocked to the floor.

From the ground, she watched as male figures ran into the house, guns in hand. There were at least three of them. They all shouted at Mark to put his gun down. Soon after Tom trailed into the house, and looked very guilty. He mouthed the word, 'sorry' to Amy. She frowned at Tom, feeling confused. What was going on?

Another man stalked into the house, closing the door behind him. He had a coloured bandanna around his face, covering his nose and mouth. He had black hair. He pushed Tom into the living room, and then looked at Amy.

He strolled over, looking down. "Get up, you little bitch." He snarled, grabbing Amy by the arm. She nearly cried as he painfully forced her off the floor. The grip on her was deadening.

"You're hurting me!" She screeched at him, struggling against his hold. He didn't listen, but dragged her into the living room. When she was in the living room, she noticed Mark and Tom had guns pointed at their heads. Amy suddenly felt the urge to go to the toilet.

She was made to stand in a line, a gun pointed to her own head. She was stood next to Tom, who wouldn't even look at her.

The man who dragged her in was now stood in front of them. Clearly, he was the leader. She also noticed the three other men were wearing bandannas.

What the fuck happened? Amy felt sweat trickle down her back, feeling nervous and scared.

Finally, the man spoke. "So, you," he pointed at Mark, "and you," he pointed at Amy, "are probably wondering why we have invaded your own private home?"

No one said anything. Amy kept her eyes down.

The leader started to go through his pocket, looking for something. "Now, I understand what has happened in this world. Dead people trying to eat you," he had a lighter and cigarette, "and people trying to survive," he lit his cigarette, and blew out the smoke, "We're all trying to survive. There's a limited supply to food, and water." He took another drag out his cigarette, watching the threesome carefully.

Amy then heard Mark speak out, bravely. "Look, if it's food you want then _take it_. Just leave us alone."

The leader then started to laugh, cruelly. He was shaking his head. "I'm taking your supply, that's for sure, but that's not what I'm here for."

What?

"W-What do you want from us?" Amy asked meekly. The man turned to her, and glared.

"You want to know how I met your friend?" He asked, pointing over to Tom. When no one answered, he continued and shouted, "That little fucker tried to STEAL from us, folks. He thought the camp was empty, but someone was keeping watch. He started to beg for his life when we caught him."

Oh shit...

The leader was finished with his cigarette, stubbing it on the floor. "You know what he told us, you two?" He looked at Amy and Mark, waiting. They didn't say anything, but the man told them, "He said, 'it was my friends' idea! They told me to start stealing from camps'."

"What the fuck, Tom!" Mark yelled out, getting ready to fight. The gun pressed against his head prevented him from doing so. Tom did not say a word. He held his head down, avoiding eye contact.

The leader laughed again. He was walking up and down the room, slowly. It was as if he was teasing them, waiting to kill them all eventually. It was malicious. "So, Tom's LYING then?" He asked, pretending to be shocked.

"O-of course he's fucking lying! Right, Amy?" Mark called out, looking over at her.

This wasn't happening. Why was this happening? _Why, Tom? You've been such a good friend, and now this?_ "Tom... Tom..." She stuttered, trying to find the words.

"Speak up, bitch!" The leader barked, causing Amy to flinch.

"H-he's lying. We didn't ask him to steal from camps. We asked him to raid Macon, the town, for more food, not other people's camps..."

"OH! So, Tom is a _LIAR?!" _The leader laughed, while the other bandits laughed with him. He finally calmed down, saying, "I'm sorry for doing this." He clicked his fingers at someone, and the man who held Tom at gun point, blew his brains out.

Time stopped for a moment. She looked as Tom's body fell to the floor, lifelessly. She then noticed blood splattered all over her own clothes, and skin. She finally screamed when she saw bits of brain and bone on her.

"Stop screaming!" The leader shouted at her. However, she didn't stop. She continuously screamed, staring at Tom's body. He finally grabbed her attention by pulling a trigger on his gun, pointing at the ceiling. She was now sobbing uncontrollably instead.

Mark was simply silent, staring at Tom's body. A look of despair and guilt knotted all over his face. "How... How could you?" He finally asked, looking up at the leader.

"You all needed to be taught a lesson." He said, smugly. Mark didn't answer back. "And the lesson is; don't fucking steal from us again or," he pointed to Tom, "this is what will happen to you." He grabbed another cigarette, lit it up and blew it across to Mark and Amy. He then made a proposal. "Here's what's going to happen; we're going to take all of your supplies. Then after that, we will take 50% of what you have. You will gather supplies, and we'll take the 50% of you. We will visit you every month."

Mark looked angered and shocked. "WHAT! You can't do that!" He screeched out to him.

The leader nodded his head at Mark. "Yes we can. OR another deal is," he pointed at Amy, "even though she looks like a boy with long hair, we'll have sex with her instead. Anything will do in this world, if you know what I mean."

The thought of them climbing on top of Amy made her feel sick. They smelled and acted vile. They were disgusting human beings who deserved to be with the Growlers. She listened as one of the bandits sniggered out, "It's because she got no tits. Boy with a pussy!" The Bandits laughed ruthlessly together.

"Take the 50% then, you piece of _shit_." Mark spat out.

Finally, the bandits left, but with another price to pay. They took Mark's car. Their lives had been turned upside. Tom was now gone, and it was all because of the horrible human beings left in this world.

Three weeks later, Mark and Amy were growing desperately hungry. They managed to find a small supply in another house, but it was only five days worth.

"Amy, I can't go on like this..." Mark muttered to her. He was beginning to look pale, dark bags underneath his eyes. He had also developed a cough that won't go away.

Amy grabbed her bat, nodding to Mark. "We need to go. I have a funny feeling those bandits will come back sooner than they said."

Mark nodded, agreeing with her plan. "It's no good sitting here and waiting to die, that's for sure."

"I'm not sure where to go, though..." She trailed off, trying to think.

"We just need to get the fuck out of here, Amy."

Amy and Mark both grabbed a weapon each. They ventured outside, leaving her home forever.

Half an hour later, they were near the woods, walking down a road. Amy felt so weak, she didn't see a pulled out string in front of them. She then tripped over it, falling to the floor. She heard Mark ask if she was okay, trying to help her up.

Suddenly, she felt a cold, metal object on her head. To her horror, it was a gun.

"Who the fuck are you?" She heard a voice ask them both.

**A/N's:** I hope the chapter was okay. Thank you to those who have favourited and followed this story. It means a lot to me. If you have any questions about the story so far, then don't hesitate to ask! Next chapter is coming soon.


	7. A New Chance

Warning: Contains swearing.

Amy stared at the woman who had the gun pointed at her. The lady was at least in her late twenties, with dark hair tied back into a pony tail. She had dark circles underneath her eyes, indicating she hadn't slept in a few days. She could've been pretty, but fatigue had ruined her looks. The dark haired woman also looked extremely angry, as if she was to blow Amy's brains off any second.

Amy didn't answer the question, she couldn't. Yes, she felt too scared, but exhaustion was the main reason. Mark didn't answer either.

The lady looked even angrier now. She was not impressed by the silent treatment. "Well?!" She barked, causing Amy to flinch. The gun dug harder into her skin.

Suddenly, a man popped up beside Lilly. Amy didn't see him before, but he must've been hiding, ready to attack. He was an average looking man with blonde hair. "Lilly," he spoke gently, "I don't think they're bandits."

The lady known as Lilly sharply turned to the man, glaring at him. "And how do you know that?" She asked harshly, gun still pointed at Amy.

Mark then had a coughing fit. He started to kneel down, trying to stop it, and patted at his chest. After he was finished, he started wheezing. Amy felt worried. Mark's cough had been around for the last two weeks and had not gone away. They managed to find some cough medicine, but it didn't work. In fact, his cough became worse.

The man sighed, shaking his head. "The man is clearly unwell, and they both look starved."

Lilly glanced at them, not looking convinced. Mark was still coughing occasionally.

The man spoke up again. "Look, why would the bandits send out people who are sick? I think they need our help."

Finally, she pulled the gun away. Amy felt her anxiety decrease slightly. She then glanced at Mark, checking to see he was okay. Normally, he would have spoken out by now, but it appeared he didn't have the energy. He really did look unwell, and this caused Amy's anxiety is rise again.

"Look, even if they're not bandits, we still can't let them in. They're just going to be a burden on us."

"But... So, what? We're just going to let them die?"

The lady's eyes narrowed at him. "Don't you get it, Doug? It's called survival. If we let them in, more food will be eaten and from the way this man sounds," She pointed at Mark, "Even more medical supplies will be taken!"

Doug looked at Lilly, confused. "But we have enough medical supplies, don't we?"

"No we don't."

"What?"

Suddenly, a voice bellowed out from behind the gates. "Lilly! God dammit, woman..." The gates flung open, and a man stepped out. For a split second, the man reminded Amy of the pirate from Peter Pan. Only this man had a southern drawl and had much shorter hair. He also had a big moustache his face.

The man took stared at Mark and Amy, shaking his head. He then turned to Lilly, looking very annoyed. "Are you seriously going to let a couple of sick people walk by and not give a shit?"

Lilly glared at the man, hatred spilling out from her eyes. Amy realised she didn't show it for the others. "Like I said before, it's called survival. I'm only trying to think what's best the group. They'll only drag us down and waste our sources."

"There's plenty to go around! You're just being God damn stubborn!"

"No, I'm trying to think for the group! And anyway, can you remember what happened last time? When that man died and tried to kill Lee?"

The man shook his head. "Clearly they're not dying, Lilly! They just need medical help and food. The poor girl looks starved! And the man is coughing his brains out." Amy watched the other man, Doug, nod his head in agreement.

Amy felt humbled. His man didn't know them, yet he was trying to help them out and Doug from before. This lady, however, was clearly not having any of it! Amy understood why the way she was like that, but she still wanted her to say yes. Mark needed help; he clearly had a nasty chest infection.

The dark haired lady snorted in disgust at the man. "You thought of survival back at the farm, though, didn't you Kenny? But now these two have shown up, and I'm the bad guy now and you're Mr. Goody Goody?" She then chuckled, darkly. "Give me a fucking break."

The man, known as Kenny, stood back, looking shocked. He then shook his head at her. His voice was quiet "It's not like that, Lilly. This is different."

Lilly stared at him, looking like she wanted to kill the man. She was about to say something else, when Mark collapsed to the floor.

Amy was sat inside the motel room, looking over Mark. He was sound asleep, despite his hands cuffed to the bed. They knew he was not dying, but precautions had to be made, they explained. She understood that, but it couldn't be comfortable for Mark.

She stared at Mark's face, and wanted to cry. When he collapsed to the floor, Amy panicked. She begged them to let them in, almost in hysterics. Mark was sweating all over, and looked very pale. The two men opened up the gates, but the lady was still protesting, saying he was going to turn.

Amy didn't get the chance to look at the other people as she ran into the motel car park. She simply stayed with Mark, praying for him to live. Luckily, a lady with medical experience helped them out. She managed to get his temperature down, and when they woke him up, she managed to give him some antibiotics. Dazed, Mark simply fell asleep.

"I couldn't lose someone else again." Amy muttered, wiping a tear from her face. "First my parents and then-" She suppressed a sob, thinking about Tom.

Since Tom got killed, she felt immense guilt over it. She thought about what happened when Tom got killed, and kept thinking how much it was Mark and Amy's fault. The leader clearly wanted them to say Tom was lying, and they fell for the trap and had Tom killed.

The truth was this; Tom was telling the truth. Well, partly. It was the entire group's idea, rather than just Mark and Amy's. Amy and Tom were hunting when they both spotted the camp. They had so many supplies, and Tom wanted to march over ask them for it! Amy had to stop him, because she knew they'd be killed if he asked for some, because the men looked rather dangerous. But she wanted the supplies so much. It would've made their lives so much easier. So they reported back to Mark, and told him about the camp. It was agreed to raid their camp when no one was patrolling the camp, and take their supplies.

Clearly, the plan back fired.

"I'm sorry, Tom." She whispered, head in her hands. "I didn't know they'd kill you. No, I don't know. I think deep down, I didn't want to be killed. I'm sorry, Tom. I'm so sorry."

She then remembered what Lilly had said earlier.

_'It's called survival!'_

Lilly was right. Since this outbreak happened, people have become their own worst enemies, but all for the right reason. Like animals, they're trying to survive. It was animal instinct, after all.

Amy started to shake her head, though. She didn't want to end up like that, to have some humanity in her, not selfishness and greed...

_Knock, Knock._

She jumped up at the noise, and then quickly realised it was coming from the door. She got up from her chair, marched over and answered the door. She smiled when she saw it was the lady who treated Mark earlier. "Hi, come in." She gestured, allowing the lady to come in.

The lady was slightly plump with blonde hair. She had stunning blue eyes, and Amy was convinced she might've been beautiful when she was in her youth. Old age, however, had clearly taken its toll. She also had a European accent, but Amy couldn't tell where from. "I just wanted to check up on your friend." She explained, walking over to Mark.

Amy closed the door behind her. It then occurred to her she didn't quite catch the doctor's name. "I'm sorry, what's your name?" She asked politely.

"Katjaa," she replied. She was taking Mark's temperature, and seemed satisfied when she got the results. "It's gone down. Better than last time."

Amy felt herself perk up. "So he's going to be okay?"

"I hope so. I'll keep an eye on him, but..." She then turned to Amy, looking serious. "I've only ever treated animals, so this is a new experience for me."

She stared at Katjaa for a few seconds, and then shrugged her shoulders. "As long as he gets better, I guess."

She smiled at Amy, and headed for the door. Just before she opened it, she turned to Amy and said, "You should introduce yourself to others. I know you met my husband, Doug and Lilly?"

She kicked at an object on the floor, feeling awkward. "Yeah... Probably not under the best circumstances, though. I'll have to thank your husband and Doug later." She quickly added.

Katjaa simply smiled and walked out of the room, quietly closing the door behind her.

Amy took a big breath. She looked over at Mark and muttered, "Here we go." She then opened the motel door and stepped outside, getting ready to introduce herself. She noted she'll have to avoid Lilly for a while.

When Amy was outside, observing her surroundings, she heard someone shout out her name.

"Amy, is that you?!"

Amy turned to the voice, and gasped.


End file.
